Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is asked to approve the Transport Action Plan interactive digital map for publication in Summer 2024.

Cllr Manda Rigby, Cabinet Member for Highways, introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation, and made the following points:

·  Looking at all the individual transport schemes in isolation can make it difficult to see the overall picture and to understand how the plan is working in context.  This is why the Council is working towards having a Transport Action Plan.

·  Over the next three years the Council will be investing an unprecedented amount in transport interventions across the whole of B&NES to deliver more travel choices for our residents and visitors.  The Council will be delivering nearly 200 policies and schemes to take us forward in meeting our strategic aims and deliver on our council objectives.  The Transport Action Plan provides greater transparency on proposed interventions and enables residents to have a greater say on our plans to achieve net zero goals, provide more travel choices, and improve accessibility to jobs and services. 

·  We have been working on an interactive map which will bring together all the proposed interventions making it easier for residents and visitors to see what is proposed in their area.  It will be the main tool for people to view all the transport proposals in the area and be signposted to further information to include consultation dates, scheme details, funding status and construction timelines.

·  In its first iteration the map will include areas we have under Council control, but it will expand to include WECA schemes and third parties such as Wessex Water or Network Rail who also have to do work on our highways.  It will be fully reflective of our hierarchy of users which reflects the recent highway code revision which emphasises that pedestrians and wheelers are at the top, cyclists second, public transport next and private cars last in terms of allocating scarce road resources to different types of users.

·  The map will be kept up to date as schemes progress and will provide the relevant contact details for each scheme.  We expect the map to be available on the council’s website from 2nd September 2024 and will work with our strategic partners to provide new information on interventions as and when they arise.  It will be a definitive source of what is happening where and when in our road network. 

Cllr Sarah Warren seconded the motion and stated that this is an important example of how the Council is trying to improve openness and accessibility.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

To approve the Transport Action Plan interactive digital map for publication in Summer 2024.